<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Hello, Brother by sake_neko</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27809056">Hello, Brother</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sake_neko/pseuds/sake_neko'>sake_neko</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Saint Seiya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Kid Fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:54:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27809056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sake_neko/pseuds/sake_neko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two brothers in Sanctuary. Happy birthday, Aiolos!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hello, Brother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sagittarius sighed. Back from a mission that took a week to complete. With his report to the Pope and his formal signing off, it was now dusk. For the first time that day, he smiled as he walked down the temple steps. Now he could attend to the two things he looked forward to the most each time he returned to Sanctuary.</p><p>The first was his little brother running into his arms for the biggest bear hug of his life. Accompanied by the words that warmed his heart.</p><p>“Hello, Brother! Welcome home!”</p><p>The second was sharing dinner with him. Usually they made it together, but this time he was given a reward from his escort. He couldn’t remember the name. Something that looked like meat-filled cakes, similar in structure and taste to kreatopetes. Thank the universe it was close to a food Aiolia already liked. No picky eating at the table that night.</p><p>After scarfing his second meat delight, Aiolia clapped his hands.</p><p>“Brother, I punched the cliff like you showed me! I burned my cosmo!”<br/>
“Oh, is that so? We should make tiganites tomorrow morning to celebrate.”<br/>
“Really? You promise?”<br/>
“Promise.”</p><p>Nummy pancakes with the sweetest honey. They didn’t always have the time to make them with morning training and his audiences with the Pope, but Aiolos would manage. When was the last time he woke up his brother for training? It felt so long ago. His brother was working hard.</p><p>Brothers laughed, ate, and brought their dishes to the wash bucket. Aiolos remembered to bring in water from the well beforehand, so he handed his younger brother the sponge. The little brother washed and scrubbed, and the older brother rinsed and dried. That way the older brother could be sure that, even if he was away, his little brother could clean after himself. With only one lantern above them, they had to work fast.</p><p>It was their daily system, one that was perfected over the years. So it was surprising when, in the middle of their routine, Aiolia dropped the fork in his hand and whined.</p><p>“Brother, I don’t want to do this anymore. This is women’s work!”</p><p>Wiping his dish dry, his brother glared down at him.</p><p>“Aiolia, you must never talk about women in that way. What if the women are too sick or hurt to do this for us? Will you let them suffer for our sake because someone else says they should? Our mother gave her life to bring you into this world. Don’t insult her courage.”</p><p>The boy pouted and squished the sponge in his hand. His brother had to bring their mother into it, didn’t he?</p><p>“Remember: men protect women. We shoulder their burdens and treasure them. That is how we brothers live.”<br/>
“I understand, Brother… It’s just that Milo made fun of me for cooking lunch earlier! He says I’m not a man!”</p><p>Aiolos chuckled.</p><p>“Milo, huh? I should give him a stern talking to later.”<br/>
“Um, don’t be mean, Brother. I don’t want to see him hurt.”<br/>
“Don’t worry, I won’t be cruel.”<br/>
“You promise?”<br/>
“Promise.”</p><p>The archer put away the dish in his hand to the cupboard and ruffled his younger brother’s hair with his dry hand. Aiolia snickered, his smile as bright as the sun.</p><p>“Come outside when you’re done with those. I want to show you something.”</p><p>Like always, Aiolia finished his chore. He didn’t rush or pretend to finish, else his brother would yell at him later. He already had his brother glare at him once tonight, and that was enough. Besides, he liked playing with the soap bubbles when he was done. <i>Squish, squish</i>. Aiolia giggled as bubbles flew out of his hands. One last squish and wash before he headed out, leaving the cleaned dishes in the rinse bucket for his brother to dry.</p><p>Aiolos stood on the slope next to their living quarters. He faced away from the building, his back tall and his head tilted to the clear spring night. Fumes from their oven wafted in the soothing air. Not a cloud in the sky and the moon wasn’t out. Perfect for stargazing. The lantern from the house dimly lit Aiolia’s distant figure.</p><p>“What is it, Brother?”<br/>
“See those stars there? That funny sickle? That’s Leo.”<br/>
“Where?”<br/>
“Come here, I’ll show you.”</p><p>A resonating glow of cosmo. Sagittarius chuckled. Must’ve been too dark to see him. The archer felt a pang of pride when light footsteps pounded and hopped to his side.</p><p>Huddling over tiny shoulders, Aiolos pointed and directed—”That way.” “More to the left.”—until he was certain that the blond haired boy’s head was right at his target. The brightest stars of the sky left Aiolia in gaping awe.</p><p>“That constellation is the one that protects you. Amazing, isn’t it? My younger brother, the mighty lion of the night. One of the constellations of the Gold Saints.”<br/>
“Wow...”<br/>
“Someday, we brothers will defend Sanctuary together as proud Saints. I look forward to the day when we stand side by side.”</p><p>Aiolia bit his lip and rubbed his toes together.</p><p>“But I’m still training. What if—what if I don’t finish like you did? What if something happens to you before then? I don’t want that!“</p><p>Crossing his arms, Aiolos puffed his chest.</p><p>“Aiolia, it’s fine to be scared and to doubt yourself. It’s natural. But for a Saint, these are mere steps for you to accept and overcome. Forgive yourself, not blame yourself. That is the only way to surpass your limitations. Don’t compare yourself to others, especially not to me. You are your own individual.”</p><p>Glancing at his younger sibling’s weepy frown, the older brother could practically touch the question mark hovering over his little head. He scratched his chin. Perhaps that was too complex for a five-year-old. He went with the simpler route, with another ruffling of his brother’s hair for extra encouragement.</p><p>“You’ll be a great Saint soon. I believe in you.”</p><p>Green eyes sparkled at him.</p><p>“But what about you?”</p><p>Aiolos knit his brow. His younger brother expected so many answers from him that he couldn’t always keep up. The older brother thought and thought. He glanced down. Aiolia’s expecting eyes were adorable. He was reminded of two shiny stars.</p><p>That was it! Zodiacs had the answer. With gratitude to the universe, he smiled.</p><p>“When it’s your birthday, you can see my guardian constellation in the sky. It’ll be easy to spot here in Sanctuary. Just look for the wing and bow somewhere that way.”</p><p>Young eyes followed where Sagittarius pointed. He would remember.</p><p>“So even if I can’t be here, I will always be right there in the sky for you. I’ll listen to anything you have to say. Okay?“<br/>
“You promise, Brother?”</p><p>In a tiny voice.</p><p>With a warm chuckle, Aiolos fist-bumped his younger brother’s chin.</p><p>“Promise.”</p><p>Aiolia giggled and wiped his tears away. They counted the stars and constellations long into the night.</p><p>* * * * *</p><p>Leo gazed at the August starry sky. In Sanctuary, the universe looked so beautiful. Somehow, even with modern lighting and cities around them, the sky was as bejeweled as it was since ancient times. Especially on this day.</p><p>He found the wing and bow formation of stars.</p><p>“Hello, Brother. I’m sorry it’s been awhile. Far too long. It’s nice to see you again.”</p><p>Sagittarius twinkled.</p><p>“It’s been quite the year, Brother. So much has happened.”</p><p>Aiolia pulled out his pendant and held the arrowtip in his palm. He closed his fingers over it, clutching the keepsake over his heart.</p><p>“Would you like to hear about it?”</p><p>Stars sparkled and a warm breeze whipped his skin. He smiled. His cosmo could hear a nostalgic voice and felt a hand ruffling through his hair, wishing him—as he always had—a happy birthday.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sagittarius birthday week! I couldn't decide on one pairing for Aiolos that I liked the most, so chose to focus on one of his charming traits to me. Eternally 14-year-old Brother Aiolos~</p><p>Thank you for reading, and thank you to anyone who leaves comments and/or kudos! Wishing everyone safety and happiness.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>